OLD POST ALERT! This is an older post and although you might find some useful tips, any technical or publishing information is likely to be out of date. Please click on Start Here on the menu bar above to find links to my most useful articles, videos and podcast. Thanks and happy writing! – Joanna Penn
In the last few weeks, there have been scandals about so-called sock puppet reviews, when authors have paid for fake reviews or even created them under false identities. Whatever your thoughts on this type of thing, there's no doubt that having great reviews can help your book sell.
Personally I give away books and ask for reviews if people enjoy them, and I consider reviews to be critical in the sales process online, so I will continue to seek them out (ethically) for my own books. Today, guest blogger Laura Pepper Wu provides a handy guide to getting Amazon's top reviewers to review your book.
We all want more book reviews but until you have a huge readership waiting for organic reviews can be… well, a long wait!
One way to get more high quality, (usually) well-written and highly regarded reviews is to ask the ‘Amazon Top Customer Reviewers' to take a look at your book.
Why target the top Amazon reviewers?
While I've seen some reviewers with 7,000+ reviews, the Top Customer Reviewer award is not only about the number of reviews one person has churned out. At the time of writing, the #1 top customer reviewer on Amazon has only (!) 671 reviews under his belt.
As always, Amazon uses a complex algorithm to determine this ranking – this top spot is also determined by the number of “helpful” votes the reviews have received (our #1 guy has 39,414) and “percentage helpful” (97%).
Since that #1 spot is highly coveted, and quite the achievement, you can be sure that the Amazon top customer reviewers put a lot of thought and energy into their reviews. That’s good news – these are the best and most compelling kind of reviews!
As a result, aiming at the Top Customer Reviewers is a good strategy to curating well-written, meaningful and thorough reviews for your book. Here are some more pros for putting in the time and energy to solicit these:
1. These reviewers have proven themselves to be fast, consistent reviewers who read fast (often a few books a week) and will therefore most likely have a quick turn around
2. They understand what makes a good, helpful review
3. They may also have a book blog/ large social media following or other online presence that can bring you additional exposure
4. An endorsement by one of these guys looks GREAT on your Amazon page. Remember the whole third party validation/ social proof thing from your Economics class? Well this is it exactly! Validation from someone who takes reviewing seriously and is therefore 100% objective. Here's how the review listing will look on your Amazon page:
In fact, according to the results of the recent self publishing survey by Taleist.com, Authors who submitted to popular reviewers on Amazon received 25% more reviews than average and earned 32% more revenue for their latest release. Not necessarily a case of cause and effect but a good sign nonetheless.
With the positive there are some potential downsides, and it's only fair to mention those as well:
– Doing this research, and doing it well, DOES take time and energy. You’ll be led down some dead ends, and some reviewers explicitly state that they don’t like to be pitched.
(But if it was easy, everyone would be doing it right? This is the kind of stuff that gets you ahead of the game!)
and…
– They may well be more critical/ harsh. That's why it's super important to really do the research and only target those who would be interested in your book. Otherwise you're asking for trouble!
How to contact Amazon's Top Reviewers
Here are some step by step instructions on how to contact Amazon's Top Customer Reviewers to offer your book for review:
1. Head over to http://www.amazon.com/review/top-reviewers
2. Click on any name or reviewer profile that takes your fancy!
3. Look at the books she/ he has reviewed in the past (be aware that some of these reviewers will not be book reviewers at all, some may focus solely on electronics, clothes etc)
4. Look at his/her interests for relevant info (if this section is filled out):
5. Look under their profile picture to see if their contact information is public (I have blacked it out for privacy reasons here). Also look to see if there are any common interests or a location that you can mention when contacting them.
6. Send them a short, brief pitch stating:
– How you found them
– Why you think they'll enjoy your book (mention other books they loved or genre preference)
– Offer a free copy of your book
– Thank them for their time, whether they decide to take up your offer or not.
Don't forget these people are busy (as everyone is these days!), and most likely receive hundreds of requests. Keep your pitch short and sweet to make sure it’s read.
7. Aim to contact at least 3-4 times more reviewers than the actual number of reviews you are looking for since some will pass or you won’t hear back from them.
8. Wait for your replies 🙂
High quality and plentiful reviews can go a long way to driving book sales.
It does take time and effort though but the payoff is big.
Have you tried contacting Amazon’s Top Customer Reviewers? Why not share your experience by leaving a comment below.
*** UPDATE: Comments are now closed – Jan 2015 **
Laura Pepper Wu is a writer and the co-founder of 30 Day Books: a book studio and Ladies Who Critique, a critique-partner finding site. She has successfully marketed several books to become Kindle and print best-sellers.
Laura has recently released Authorlicious, a premium WordPress theme for authors including tutorials, so if you want to maximize your blog success, check it out here! (affiliate)
Laura’s latest offering is ‘Fire up Amazon & Leave it on Autopilot!’, a video tutorial course on how to tweak Amazon to it’s full potential. When she's not glued to her laptop you can find her walking her dog, practicing yoga or “testing” out coffee shops in Seattle. Connect with her on http://twitter.com/LauraPepWu and say hi!
Images: Top Bigstock Customer Survey or Review, the rest provided by Laura Pepper Wu
Gloria Duda says
I am getting ready to publish my first non fiction ebook. How do I give the reviewers a free book? Thank you for any help. G
Rich says
Gift it to them
Durval Olivieri says
http://curriculodedurvalolivieri.blogspot.com.br/http://district455020112012.blogspot.com.br/ These are sites about us.
We just received good news about our book KUTZ’S SCREAMS being a novel to be shared with students of English all over Brazil by the very unique bibnational schools .
And that is a good news. We are thankful for Amazon facililating sales foe 11,50 dollars for the Kindle edition and 16, 50 for the paperback one.
In Brazil there is an extra for freight of ten dollars.
The book is being considered a very good fiction on attitudes and behaviors of war returnees after they como home from Afghanistan. They do consider the case of John’s, nicknamed by his peers as Kutz an exagetation, but…Who knows?
We would like to have the book reviewed and criticised.
Thanks
Durval and Giudice
Tom says
Before it was publishers and agents. Now it’s reviewers. We seem to enslave ourselves regardless. It reminds me of job hunting and trying to get around human resources. One successful amazon-kindle author told me that he wrote five books. All kindle singles. He did no promotion. The first four didn’t do well. The fifth book caught on and readers then went after his first four books. I have nothing against reviewers. I’m glad they’re out there and take the time to give feedback. The great thing about ebooks is that you can write and publish. The one step I take is to gift a certain number of books to readers. If they read it and like it, then maybe they’ll write a review. That’s up to them. Right now I have a book that ranks number one in its category and in its genre. I have exactly one review. But the book is selling regardless.
Sine says
that’s a good point I hate the time you have to spend “enslaving” yourself to whoever it is at the moment, as you put it, and would much rather spend the time writing, which is the thing I love doing and do well. So perhaps the best strategy is publishing your book and moving on to the next one right after, and the next one after that. And eventually one of them might catch on and then your sales take off.
Joyce Yarrow says
Hi! Thanks for this informative post! I looked at the 9 Amazon customer reviews of my book, RUSSIAN RECKONING, and to my surprise and delight found that I have a 4-star review from an Amazon Hall of Fame reviewer!
My question is – how can I leverage this review to help publicize and sell my book?
Thanks so much for you generous help.
Joyce
Iola says
Joyce, you do nothing. Some Amazon Top Reviewers have better reputations than others, and Klausner is one with a dubious reputation. She claims to be a speed reader who reads two books a day … but posts an average of six reviews a day on Amazon. Google her.
Sorry.
Joyce Yarrow says
Thanks Iola – I’ll cherish the other 24 reviews the book has received. Her story is truly a strange one.. what some people will do to get famous!
Samantha says
A super easy way to get in contact with multiple reviewers is through the leading FREE review coordination service at Amazon-Simple.com… just contact them and let them know what the ASIN is of the item you’d like to provide to reviewers and they’ll coordinate it for you at no cost.
robert krueger says
I, too, am looking for reviewers for my novel — The Children’s Story, About Good and Evil (a novel not for children).. I also review books on Amazon, about 140 to date. If interested in a review, you can contact me at rak27us@charter.net.
Omar R. Lopez says
What the book is about?!
Welcome to a world that goes beyond the traditional spiritual stories and personal religious beliefs. Experience a different significance for the definition of the word of G.O.D. and the way It did, and still does Its works, helping the life of the people that emerge. Discover how Lucifer got himself transformed into Zatan. Meet and learn on how the real Adam, Eve, Cain, Abel, Noah, his unique family, the Devil, Jesus Christ, Veronica Marrii Magdalane, and others that had all came to be. Understand a mild-definition of the death mark of the beast. Read a profound version of the Book of Genesis, a broader explanation of the New Testament, a simple explanation of the Book of Revelations, and very much more. G.O.D.’s Biblical Evolutions is either a biblical novel or a possible historical reality. Believe it or not, you shall learn if G.O.D. is truly mystifying, yet, simply factual; Or maybe just both?!
Omar R. Lopez
thatwritingchic (@thatwritingchic) says
I’m so glad I came across this post. I’ve self-published three ebooks but gave them all away because they were related to people who wanted to be in my line of work and whenever I got questions, it was just easier to send them an -book.
I recently self published a passion project of mine and have been researching ways to get reviews. I have gotten a few, but I know it’s only because it’s from people who have seen me labor in the process since 2009.
I was online today because I wanted to dedicated my weekend to researching how to get reviews from people who are actually interested in the book.
I own a Digital Media Agency and know all about audience development and targeting but I knew there had to be a PROCESS to get this done in the publishing world, one with which I am not familiar.
Your points are very helpful and I’ve also just downloaded an excellent e-book from Amazon by a reviewer about getting reviews. “How to Get Good Reviews on Amazon”. It’s REALLY good! I wish I had read it before I even uploaded my book, but I plan on using this article and that book to get some reviews.
Toaster says
I’m an Amazon Top 50 reviewer. I am willing to accept review requests, but many authors blatant ignore the information on my Amazon page (e.g., “no non-fiction”) and send me requests anyway. If they do this, I ignore their message–why should I reply to someone who can’t be bothered?
I would add several things to your article:
1. Be sure to READ the reviewer’s profile/any condition for reviewing.
2. Do NOT contact the reviewer outside of Amazon (for example, on Facebook) unless he/she requests that you do so.
3. When emailing the reviewer, do not just say “hello”–actually use the reviewer’s name.
4. Include a link to your book listed on Amazon so that the reviewer can check it out.
5. Spell check your message!
Finally, keep in mind that many reviewers–especially those in the Top 100–get a LARGE number of requests. You may actually be better served by targeting lower-ranked reviewers.
KristiG says
I would also add- Please don’t just SEND me a pdf or .mobi copy of your book.
I only have so much space in my email account, and getting several unsolicited e-books a day fills it up. 🙂
Laura Parenteau says
Toaster, very nice of you to comment here. I am wondering if using Net Galley is truly a good resource. Do you use it? Comments? What about that Amazon Simple service mentioned somewhere here in these comments?
Thanks for your time.
r.l. Toney says
it’s definitely a pain individually contacting each reviewer. but it does lead to some interesting results. I’ve had a couple accept my book and some say they’re just overwhelmed a yet wish me success.
Shir Guez says
Hi Joanna,
Is there a way to contact Amazon top reviewers that don’t have email address or website link on their Amazon profile?
Beth says
No. If they don’t offer this info, they likely do NOT want to be contacted and will NOT be receptive to your review request.
Shir Guez says
Okay.
Thanks for your reply.
Lonnie E. Holder says
As an Amazon reviewer, I concur with Beth. I recently pulled my email address from my Amazon profile (a bit overwhelmed right now) to slow the influx of requests. I am STILL getting 30 – 40 emails per week, or more, with the total number of books offered in the hundreds. I know how some people have my email (long relationship with certain authors, publishers, and publicists), but new people show up all the time I have never seen before. Clever researchers! I am turning everyone down right now, until I can get my life back under control.
Christopher Benninger says
Good Morning from India! My book, LETTERS to a Young Architect was on the TOP Ten Best Selling NON Fiction Books in India for eighteen weeks, and has had a similar success in its Chinese translation over the last year. I am a well known architect in India and have an ever-growing following of young architects who buy hard copies of my book, published in India by India House Art Gallery, a company I own. But my Kindle sales and Createspace sales on Amazon are poor. My Celibrity Page on Facebook noted above has about 19,000 members and grows about a thousand members a month.. To leverage that resource I am launching free copies of my book on Gandhi’s Birthday Second of October. Your notes aided me in thinking of how to boost My sales. Your advice would be welcome. Warm Regards, Christopher Benninger
See my architectural work at http://www.ccba.in
Garron R Martin says
Good advice and very helpful-I’ve tried to get an Agent for 6 years and NO ONE TELLS YOU THAT AGENTS ONLY HAVE SO MANY PLACES ON THEIR BOOKS! and YOU CANNOT PITCH DIRECTLY TO FILM/TV COMPANIES BECAUSE THE LAW SAYS YOU MUST HAVE AN AGENT FOR LEGAL REASONS -THAT IS WHY THEY WILL NOT LOOK AT UNSOLICITED SUBMISSIONS-The Agents would do well to mention these things up-front to save a lot of hassle in sending out rejections on this basis-as well as the(usual) unsigned, badly photo-copied rejection letter-I had one once that didn’t have my NAME on it !!!!! I had one returned from a broadcaster saying that it was not what they were looking for, Thanking me for my interest-IT WAS STILL SEALED AND HADN’T BEEN OPENED. Really, It is a Two -Way street, agents must realise that they are going to lose a lot of business in this closed shop and that we, as writers are offering THEM WORK!That is why I have gone digital-BUT, also, the Platforms must do their share and recirculate/boost position of new/existing books too if they want business, it should not just have to be down to the authors themselves to do all the work ? The key word here, should be CO-OPERATION, and the industry would do well to try to address these issues so that everyone can benefit-we live in a fast electronic world now, so why should we be clanking along with Dinosaur structure that needs to be changed, come on Industry-WAKE UP!
Tom says
This is truly the death of a thousand cuts. Agents serve their purpose I guess but between the old publishing houses and agents it’s just a series of locked doors and permission asking. It freeing to no longer be going down that path. Between Kindle Worlds and Kindle Direct Publishing I am allowed to write what I want. For now, that is the path I’ll take. I’ve published under the old model and did quite well but it was smothering to get though it.
David says
Is there any benefit outside of bragging rights to actually becoming a ‘Top Reviewer’? I’ve seen the list of the top ten reviewers and I’m trying to figure out what is in it for them to care about being a top reviewer. I’d love to know. Also, great blog post. I too struggle trying to get reviews. One person out of 500 people leaves a review. And it takes a while to sell 500 downloads of a book!
Mark says
As one of the UK top 10 Amazon reviewers I can say there are some benefits. You do tend to get offered products for review, although to be honest there are only so many cheap bluetooth speakers you’ll actually want!
I rather enjoyed my climb up the charts and had hoped to get to number 1, however having hit the top 10 I’ve discovered that most of the top 10 are there not through actual testing of products, but just because they churn out reviews that get a single vote, thus keeping them in the top 10. When put to Amazon, they just said it was fan votes that don’t count, but check out top reviewers reviews and you’ll see most just have single votes. My advice would be to look at what people review, if they’re churning out loads of reviews each week they won’t be interested in reviewing a book as they’re not really reviewing products.
Breanna Hayse says
Do you have any ideas of what to do if Amazon’s ‘reviewers’ put your name on a blacklist? Censorship has risen to an all time high and although I have consistently sold in top 100 and several #1 spots in my genre, my releases are being rejected because of the use of certain words (the same word, FYI, seen in TITLES of books in the same exact genre). Amazon has taken my books down without notice or comment, and it appears to be solely do to personal prejudice by whoever is on ‘duty’ that day… even YEARS later. How can we fight or defend this? Any advice?
Courtney says
I am an Amazon reviewer and willing to review books. If you have one you would like reviewed, please feel free to send me a message.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/A1J6Z70T78B35V
WORLDOLOGY WORLDOLISM EBOOK-1 OF TIME says
Hello Joanna-We’re not promoting any books at Amazon yet. We stumbled to your blog and found it interesting and neat too. One thing though: we’ve been under the impression that a person must be a buyer of a book in order to review it at Amazon. If that is true, how could anyone have reviewed 600+ books? Does that mean he has bought 600 books from Amazon? Please clarify. Thank you and God bless!
Joanna Penn says
You just need to have bought 1 thing from Amazon in order to leave reviews. Most reviewers get free books sent to them. As for volume, I read 3-5 books per week and I have reviewed a lot on Goodreads – big readers do read hundreds of books and we buy thousands … 🙂
Daniel Farcas says
Hi,
Anyone would like to review my book God’s Buried Children on Amazon please?
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MBU7I66
This true story is the journal of an orphan child born in Romania in 1980’s during Nicolae Ceauscu’s communist regime, Daniel becomes a homeless child on Bucharest streets and in the city underground sewers after he runs away from the orphanage and lives through the 1989 Anticommunism Revolution.
Let me know if you want a free PDF copy.
Thanks,
Daniel
Stacey says
I just published my first book last month– Pawsitive Connection (non-fiction/collection of short stories of animal rescue) and I’m off to a decent start on sales, but am in need of amazon reviews. This post is exactly what I was searching for. Thank you Joanna for your informative post and helpful information.- I am so appreciative!
Shivon says
Thanks very much for this informative post with it’s simple to follow advice. I am a very new writer (just published my first book) and will definitely be trying this out!
Courtney H. says
Hello,
I am open to doing reviews. Just send an email to (letitall0utt@yahoo.com) Thank you!!
Here is a site that helps connect authors with reviewers-
http://www.bookrooster.com/for-authors/?ap_id=cmh627
Kadian R. Grant says
Hi Courtney, do you review self-help books?
Paul Rodericks says
Very interesting and useful blog contents! Thanks for your input and effort to do so.
I am a published author and have just released on Kindle my new Biblical fiction Novel, The Chronicles of Moses – The Man who would be Pharaoh. This is an epic fiction novel about the would-be Pharaoh forced into exile and torn apart from his beloved, who must struggle to avenge the injustice by challenging the might of his ruthless enemy and traitor, the Egyptian Pharaoh.
I would be grateful if anyone would review it. I can email the digital version. The Amazon link for the book is : http://www.amazon.com/Chronicles-Moses-Man-would-Pharaoh-ebook/dp/B00O6TM1IA/
My blog is http://www.paulrodricks.com/paulswritersdig
Thanks
Rich says
Paul, I’ll be glad to review your book. It looks right down my alley anyway. My degree was in ancient history and archaeology. A strong (strong) interest of mine was ancient Egypt.
Paul Rodericks says
Hi Rich,
Thank you for your offer to review my new book. I too feel that you’d the right person to review it, in view of your specialization.
However, kindly mention your email so that I can forward you preferably a PDF copy of the book, The Chronicles of Moses – The Man who’d be Phraraoh, to you.
Thanks and best regards,
Paul
Rich says
richardj_stiller@yahoo.com